Low GI Foods & Glycemic Index for Healthy Living

From the creators of the Low Glycemic Diet, Low GI Eating – Made Easy is a simple and accessible diet / weightloss handbook explaining how to make the Glycemic Index Diet work for every body, every meal, every day.

In small and easy steps, learn how to transform your diet so you can eat well, look good and stay healthy. Includes top 100 low GI foods, clear explanations on how to choose low GI foods plus over 300 quick meal recipes, plus snack and treat suggestions.

100 low glycemic diet recipes, great for weightloss, from the creators of the Low GI Diet, alongside recipes from key celebrity chefs.
These recipes will help you cook simple, healthy meals and to lose weight reliably and safely – and keep it off!

This full colour book is packed with delicious recipes for breakfast/lunch/dinner and
those all important snacks and sweet treats. The perfect companion to the The Low GI Diet.

From the team who created Low GI Eating, the Low GI Family Cookbook offers over 100 healthy low glycemic diet recipes the whole family will love.

Whether you have a toddler or a teenager, this beautifully photographed cookbook shows you how easy it is to combine the essentials of healthy eating with the proven benefits of low GI carbs and make a real difference to your whole family’s long-term health and wellbeing.

Packed with over 100 delicious recipes and illustrated with gorgeous colour photos, The Low GI Family Cookbook shows you how to make the most of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain breads and cereals, a variety of healthy sources of protein, plus nuts and seeds and the healthy fats including omega-3

If you’re health conscious, seeking weightloss, or looking for an in depth understanding of the the glycemic index and how to incorporate it into your everyday low glycemic diet, this is a fabulous reference!

The New Glucose Revolution divides carbohydrates according to their GI into two categories. One is high GI: carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion, leading to fast and high blood-glucose response. The other is low GI: carbohydrates that break down slowly during digestion, leading to a gradual glucose release.

Following a Low GI Diet doesn’t have to be complicated! And, there’s no need to forever consult low gi food lists, once you come to understand that it’s really just about eating foods as close as possible to their original state in nature, with minimal processing.

Here are a few additional tips to help with a low gi diet lifestyle –

Reduce (or eliminate!) sugary foods!

Do we really need all of those refined sugar laden sweets, soft drinks, fruit drinks, desserts, cakes and biscuits? Probably not! There are many great alternatives so make a conscious effort to make more natural low gi diet choices. Check out the great low gi dessert and low gi snack suggestion on this website, or perhaps you could even invest in a great low gi cookbook.

However, you also need to mindful of all the hidden sugars in foods. Once you start reading more and more product labels, you’ll find refined sugar in just about everything on the supermarket shelves – from canned vegetables, flavoured tuna, savoury biscuits, baked beans … and the list goes on! And if we’re not careful, our daily sugar intake can climb rapidly without even being aware.

Eat small, regular meals

Missing meals is never a good idea! … Your blood sugar levels will fall too low causing fatique, mental … And it definitely won’t help with your weight loss goals either! Your low glycemic diet should start each day with a healthy low gi breakfast for sustained energy. Allow yourself a midmorning low gi snack, a good lunch, a low glycemic mid afternoon snack, and finally a balanced evening meal. It’s better to graze on smaller meals and healthy, low glycemic snacks than to eat three large meals a day. Also avoid the temptation for late evening nibbles that can also be disruptive to sleep.

Go for at least two low glycemic meals each day

Ideally it would be best if all of our meals were low GI, but with our busy lifestyles, together and the availability fast foods and takeaways, causes us to occasionally stray off course with our low gi diet. If we can strive for at least two solid low gi meals each day, we’re at least able to sustain relatively steady blood sugar levels for the most part, and can improve from there. A lifestyle of low gi eating becomes a habit with practice. Begin with a good breakfast and have lots of pre-prepared snacks on hand, and you’re half way there!

A low gi diet is really very simple, but it does take time to make it a way of life. You’ll feel better, more alive, and more full of energy, making it all worthwhile!

There’s nothing more inviting on a cold winter’s night than a good low gi chilli casserole – rich in flavours and incredibly satisfying. The best thing … is it’s easy to prepare with just a few handy staples from the pantry – a must for any low glycemic diet!.

Drain and rinse the beans.
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and capsicum for 5–7 minutes.
Add the vegetable stock, beans, apple, herbs and spices. Cover and simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until the beans are tender and the liquid thickens slightly.

You may have heard about the Glycemic Index …

but what does it really mean? … and how important is it for your health? … What is a low glycemic diet?
Very simply, the Glycemic Index is a scientific ranking of how the foods we eat affect our blood sugar levels in the 2 or 3 hours after eating. This index is measured against pure glucose, which has a value of 100 on the index. The index ranges from 0 to 100 with:

0-55 = Low-GI 56-69 = Moderate-GI 70-100 = High-GI

High GI 70-100 Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion, release blood sugar rapidly into the bloodstream, and cause marked fluctuations in blood sugar levels.Medium GI 56-69 Carbohydrates that break down moderately during digestion and release blood sugar moderately into the bloodstream.Low GI 0-55 Carbohydrates that break down slowly during digestion, release blood sugar gradually into the bloodstream, and keep blood sugar levels steady … and provide you with proven benefits for your health!

Low GI Meals leave you feeling fuller longer, ease food cravings and provide you with greater and more sustained energy levels. If you’re looking to either lose weight, or maintain your existing weight, a low GI diet lifestyle is the perfect option. Also, if you find yourself lethargic, losing concentration, or experiencing mood swings an hour or so after eating, a change to low GI meals may show immediate benefits.

In term of long terms health, Low GI Diets are important to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or heart disease. However, if you’ve already been diagnosed with diabetes, low GI diets have been shown to improve both lipid and glucose levels, maintain more stable insulin levels and reduce insulin resistance, which is important in reducing the risk of long term diabetes-related complications.

More and more health benefits associated with choosing a low glycemic index diet are constantly being realised, but the ones we’ve listed are certainly already impressive …

Control and stabilise your blood sugar levels

Raise your HDL (“good”) cholesterol

Lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels

Assist you with weight loss

Manage symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

Improve your body’s sensitivity to insulin

Lower your risk of type 2 diabetes

Lower your risk of heart disease

Improve your energy levels and general wellbeing

So, to get started, just do your best to avoid high Glycemic foods as much as possible … and simply choose medium or low GI foods wherever you can! It becomes very easy once your understand the basics, and it certainly doesn’t mean that you’ll be forever consulting charts and adding up numbers to succeed. Begin simply, by continuing to learn a little about the glycemic index and you’ll be on your way to a satisfying and tasty low glycemic diet lifestyle.

A Low GI Breakfastis probably the most important of all your low gi meals during the day. If you’re skipping breakfast in the misguided belief that it will help shed some excess weight, you’re sure to be disappointed!

Studies have shown that you’re likely to later crave, and consequently consume, more high glycemic foods thoughout the day which will propel that glycemic rollercoaster, and cause you to actually gain weight! That certainly won’t help you with your low glycemic diet or weightloss goals!

You’ve got less chance of losing weight by skipping meals than by having a great low GI breakfast to start to the day. You’ll feel better too! Just remember – missing breakfast isn’t good news for weight loss, and even worse news for maintaining optimal health.

So start your day with a healthy low glycemic breakfast to boost your metabolism to give you all the energy you need to get through the morning, and without leaving you feeling hungry again an hour later.

Start your day with lasting energy! You’ll feel great, think more clearly and feel full longer. If you’re just learning about or starting out with a low gi way of life, put every effort into at least ensuring every day starts out with a delicious low gi breakfast as part of your new low glycemic diet.

Of all your low gi meals, lunchtime sets the scene for your energy levels for the remainder of the day – a very important part of any low glycemic diet. Avoid mid afternoon sluggishness by investing a few extra minutes into a well- planned, wholesome, low glycemic lunch to give you all the energy you need to get you through the day.

Plan ahead … When preparing dinner the night before, cut up a few extra vegetables and set them aside for the next day’s lunch. Invest in a few, well-sealed food containers for any evening meal leftovers, which you can enjoy for lunch over the next couple of days. Simple steps like these will definitely help you achieve your healthy low glycemic diet and weightloss goals

Another investment is a small, good quality thermos. If you’ve made a big batch of soup for dinner the previous night, heat it up in the morning, pop it in your thermos, and there’s nothing nicer (or quicker) on a cold winter’s day.

Just a little planning takes the worry out of preparing lunches in the mornings when time is often already tight. It’s also much cheaper and healthier than buying your lunch each day.

Low GI Dinners – Enjoy the many low-glycemic diet possibilities available! Invest in a great low GI cookbook with lots of mouthwatering pictures, or get inspired with a few of the suggestions we’ve listed.

Consider making double batches when cooking and then freeze half for an easy low gi meal another night. Also, rather than eating up all the leftovers, keep some aside for lunches.

Keep in mind portion, sizes too. Is it really necessary to go back for seconds? Or thirds? If you feel comfortably full, stop there! Or have some more vegetables or fresh fruit to finish off instead.

If you can, do your best not to eat your evening meal too late at night. Studies have shown that eating late in the evening can cause a restless night’s sleep. That means no late night “snacks” either!